Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/216396
fan forum Sophomore defensive end Sheldon Day aggravated his high ankle sprain in the 38-34 win over Navy Nov. 2. Head coach Brian Kelly attributed the injury — as well as those to senior defensive lineman Kona Schwenke — to cut blocks by the Midshipmen. photo by Bill Panzica Keep The Turf; Lose Navy Can we please stop blaming every Notre Dame turnover on the state of the playing surface? Yes, it's bad at times, but the way in which your publication has become Brian Kelly's little lapdog is disturbing. Your job is to report on Notre Dame football, not to dutifully publicize the head coach's proclamations. Brian Kelly has wanted an artificial surface since he was hired at Notre Dame. He spoke about this before he had even coached a game, and it has come up again and again. It looks increasingly as if we'll have FieldTurf very soon, and that's unfortunate. Notre Dame isn't some sort of geographic anomaly. There are many institutions with similar climates that have grass playing surfaces. The reason most places prefer artificial turf is that it's easier and cheaper to maintain. The Green Bay Packers play on natural grass, and the weather in northern Wisconsin is much worse than the weather in northern Indiana. You can blame the turf all you want for TJ Jones slipping (versus Navy), but receivers slip in every football game, no matter what the playing surface or weather conditions. Moreover, FieldTurf is worse for players' health, as it spreads antibiotics-resistant staph infections. Natural be heard! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007 Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com